Most of the playing field is just open grass. No effects.
The brown/dark green things are hills. Your troops can move freely on them, but they can't see or shoot at things on the other side of them unless your guys are on top of the hill.
The woods are woods. Troops on the other side of woods or more than 6" in can't be seen or shot at. Troops that can be seen get a cover save when shot at (a good thing). Troops move randomly slower while moving through woods.
The last terrain feature is the two clumps of bushes. They don't block line of sight, but give troops in them a cover save as they can hide. They also slow troops down as woods do.
Vehicles moving through bushes or woods usually have a 1 in 6 chance of getting stuck.
When you deploy the red lines show how far in you can place units. The scale bar is just to give you an idea of how to gauge distance. And the labeled rows and columns are so you can refer to areas on the map.
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Now the forces! Both are platoons out scouting. They just happened to run into each other and the fight is on!
Basic rules.
There are movement, shooting, and assault phases.
Infantry, unless otherwise noted, move 6" and may be slowed if in woods or bushes I'll describe the vehicle when I get to it
shooting. Models that aren't in close combat and can see a target in range may shoot at them, as described in their entry
assault If you haven't shot at anybody this turn you can move 6" (slowed as normal by woods or bushes) as a "charge" into an enemy unit. They then smack each other around turn after turn until one unit or the other dies or flees.
Be aware that in warhammer sometimes units will get scared and run away or do other things units under fire are known for doing. Guard are much more prone to this than marines.
The space marines have a small but strong force.
7x Assault Marines(total). Seargent with terminator honors and power sword, 2x models with plasma pistols.
These guys have jump packs. So they can walk as normal troops if they want, i.e. 6", or they can "jump" 12" in the movement phase. This isn't slowed by woods or anyting. But if you try landing in bushes or woods you might crash.
They have pistols instead of rifles, so they can shoot AND assault in the same turn. But they can only shoot 12" Don't worry about the upgrades so much, it just makes them better.
These guys love close combat. You'll want to get them charging into IG units who they will then rip to shreds with their chainswords.
Next some regular space marines in an armor transport
8x regular marines. One has a flamer, one is a seargent with a power sword
These guys like close combat too but they're more about shooting with their rifles (bolters).
If they say still they can shoot 24" with bolters or if they moved they can shoot TWICE with the bolters up to 12"
The flamer only reaches 8" but at close range can make many guardsmen into crispy critters!
And their rhino transport(which they start the game in, unless you don't want them too)
A lightly armored transport for the marines.
It can move 12" every turn and drop the marines off. If it moved they can't assault that turn, but they can still shoot the heck out of somebody!
It's got rought terrain modifications, so if it moves less than 6" it has a much better chance to safely go through woods, it would also be able to shoot the machinegun on top (24" range).
It also can fire smoke launchers once in the game. This means it can't shoot, but makes it more survivable against incoming fire! Very popular when trying to get across the map while under fire!
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Now that guard forces.
First are two squads of 10x guardsmen
They've got a heavy bolter (like a heavy squad operated machine gun). This can fire away up to 36" away, but can't shoot at all if the unit moves. Can bring down marines and if really lucky could hurt the rhino.
Regular troopers have lasguns that can shoot twice at 12" or can fire 24" if they sit still.
On of the men has a plasma gun. This piece of hardware is prone to...acidents, but the bolts of plasma it fires can cut through marine power armor and even take down some vehicles on a good day! It fires like a lasgun.
These guys like to sit in cover someplace where they hope enemies will come within 36" or 24", maybe even briefly 12" but they won't do well in hand to hand combat with 8 foot tall space marines!
Next the five man command squad for those two squads. This features a leutenant(not really different at all),
and two guys with flamers.
so 3 guys have lasguns as described above, and the flamers work like the marine flamers. Effective, even against marines, but you need to get within 8" at least. ideally 6" or less.
Next comes the heavy weapon support (6 guys)
three squad operated missile launchers.
These can fire at stuff up to 48" away! Though they can't shoot at all if them move. Guardsmen aren't the most accurate fellows around but those armor piercing missiles hurt when they hit! These guys like to use range to keep themselves and their expensive weapons out of trouble.
Finally come the hardened veterens (8 guys)
These guys have been through hell and back. Mostly what they learned was to shoot straighter and be sneakier.
5 have regular lasguns. But three of them have plasguns! Risky to be sure, but they can do a lot of damage with them (remember they fire 24" if they sit still or twice at 12". Though shooting twice is extra dangerous!
Just as important they are "infiltrators" this means they set up last, and can set up anywhere on the board so long as they are further than 12" away from an enemy unit if they cannot be seen(such as if behind a hill or woods) or further than 18" if they can be seen.
They like to get in a good firing spot off to the side or even behind the enemy where they force the enemy to choose between going after them and getting shot in the rear by the rest of the force, or get shot in the rear by them!
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Ok. So how this works. For ease whoever challenges Mikey gets to pick side and deploy first (this is a mixed blessing and not a real advantage for either).
pick a side (top or bottom) of the map and then place the apropriate unit(s). Placing units alternates back and forth. The order of placement
Marines
1st Rhino+regular SMs
2nd Assault Marines
Guard
first place both 10 men squads and their 5 man command squad all at the same time
next place the missile launchers
Finally place the hardened veterans after everything else is down. Remember they infiltrate (sneak around just before the battle). So you can put them anywhere, even in Tsukiyumis deployment zone, so long as they're 12+" away if none of his units can see them or 18+" away if one of them can.
Once you've said where you're putting you units I'll update the map and roll for first turn. The winner gets to move and shoot all their units first. And then the other person gets to go.
So for example if someone set up his marines right on the red line in the middle he could order the jump troops and the rhino to both head 12" straight south toward the Guardsmen. Or maybe he could say something like
"the asault marines jump as close to 12" toward reliants squad #1 as they can without having to a land in the bushes" or whatever.
In the shooting phase if you have models that are eligable to shoot(for example the rhino isn't eligible to shoot if it moved over 6" and the missile launchers and heavy bolters can't shoot if they move at all) and have LOS on an enemy unit may shoot at them.
Fair warning. Space Marines in their power armor are pretty tough. They will fall to lasgun and heavy bolter fire but not like flies.
Example of shooting.
The assault marines land in the open 16" from one of the 10 men guard squads. Reliant can either sit still and fire everything at them, or can move forward and get double shots from the lasguns and plasma gun. Lets say the guards are in some woods and don't feel like marching out in the open so they sit.
8 guys fire lasguns so I roll 8 die needing 4's to hit. For each hit I roll to wound. Marines are super tough so it takes 5s to wound them. Finally they get an armor save for that thick power armor (2 in 3 chance they ignore a wound).
The heavy bolter gets three shots. Hitting on 4s, wounding on 3s(high calibre weapon), and letting them have their armor save.
Finally the plasma gun fires hitting on a 4, woudning on a 2(deadly hot plasma) and doesn't let them roll their armor save.
When the smoke clears I'd expect to see 1 or 2 dead marines.
Anyway don't worry about the dice so much. Just go for it!
Finally remember this is about learning, practice and fun. Don't spaz if something doesn't go your way. You'll get them next time! In fact I wouldn't even worry to much if what I've written so far confuses you. Just get your guys on the table and see what happens!
Pick a side and slap down that rhino or group of platoons!!
